Apparatus for supplying water-vapor to the cylinders of an internal-combustion engine.



`F. T. WOWBERGER.

l APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WHRVAPOR T0 THE CYUNDERS 0PM! INTERNALcomsuslom ENGINE.

APPLICATIUH FILED IUNE 6. 19|6.

meme@ gan. 3o, 19m

I n Be it known that I, FLOYD FFTQE.

nLoYn'r. noMBEneER, or ELIzABETnvInLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS Eon SUPELYING-'wnrEn-VAPOE' rro THE-GYLINDEES oE'nN 1N'rEE,NAL

' v ooNEUps'rIoN ENGINE.

Leraars.

To all whom z't may concern:

l v T. ROMBERGER, a citizen of the United States, vresiding atElizabethville, inthe county of Dauphin Y and State vof Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in App the Cylindersof an Internal-Combustion directly into the cylinder or cylinders, or

f engine,

Engine,of whichthe following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for supplying asuitable amount of water-vapor to the cylinder 'oi-1 cylinders of aninternal combustionengine, such as the engine of an automobile, orstationary the water-vapor while the water-vapor may be'introduced thesupply manifold pipe thereof.

^ An important objectv of the invention is ders of the engine, or otherparts thereof, which 1s caused by the operation of a fan,

the" travel -of the engine, or both, is forced through or in proximitytoa volume of water, thusobtaining the water-vapor or which is suppliedto the carbureter or the cylinders of the engine.

A further Aobject of the invention tov provide apparatus ofthe abovementioned character,

Other objects and advantages of the in-v vention will be apparent duringthe course of the following descriptiom 'In the accompanymg drawingsforming fa part of this specicaaon and inwhich like numerals, areemployed to designate like. parts throughout the same, Figure 1 vis aside elevation of= apparatus embodying the invention; and, Fig. 2 is acentral vertical longitudinal fseetion'al view thfough a portion of theapparatus.

in the drawings, wherein for the pur- )ose of illustration isf'shown apreferredem; odiment of fmyvinve' the numeral' designates an internalmbustion engine,

asa whole, embodyingaplurality' of ey1in-l aratus `forSupplyingVater-Vapor tol v being preferably ,first 'introduced Ainto the'carbureter to become mixed with the-explosive charge therein, which isfed to the cylinder or cylinders,

y which is simple in construction, inexpenslve to manufacturastrong anddu-v --horizontally arranged rearwardly to the rotatable fan 8.- It isthus i Specication' of Letters Patent. Y Paijgmgd` Jam, S? 191%application med June s, 1916. serial No. 1o1`,9ss. i

manifold 6, having connection with the discharge end of a carbureter 7,of any well known or preferred type. This carbureter has an air intakeend 8, as shown.

The numeral 8" designates a rotatable fan, carried by a shaft 9,journaled through one end of'a bracket 10. This fan is driven by abelt11', engaging a pulley 12', carried by they crank shaft 13 of theengine. The function of the fan 8 isto create a current of air travelingrearwardly over or 'about the cylinders of the engine or other partsthere-v of, and to draw the airthrough the radiator (not shown) inadvance thereof, as is well known.

My apparatus comprises a' water-vapor generator, comprising a closedshell,orcas ing 9, preferably arranged'forwardly yof the engine, andsuitably supported in this position. This shell isvprovided at its lowerend wlth a drain valve or cock 10a. The shell 9 1s provided'` near itslower end witlra float chamber 10, in communication therewith.

a stationary guide 14, as shown. The pipe 11 is preferably-equipped witha cut ofl:` valve 15, and this pipe mayfcommunicate with the radiatorlof an automobile or any other suitable source of water, having a suit-'able elevationor pressure.. It is' thus apparf ent that when the valve15is open the water will pass into the shell 9, and the floatfvalve willfunction vto retain the water level constant.

vPassing into the forward side of thefshell 9'is anair intake horn 16,flaring forwardly,- with its enlarged end portion more `or less of andin proximity apparent that a portion ofthe air current from the fan willbe driveninto' and through the horn 16,- and as the automobileis propelled, additional air currentwill be driven into and through the horn16. ,I have found by relying solely uponthe air current caused.

l that some degree of success maybe obtained .i mit the air to bubblefreely through the Water. `Arranged above the plate 17 is a sphericallycurved defiector 20, preferably attached to' the horn 16 and having asmaller diameter than the interior o-f the shell 9. I have found thatsome degree of success may be obtained by -terminating the'outlet end ofthe horn near and above the water level in the shell. The rear side ofthe shell 9 is provided with an outlet opening having communication witha water-vapor pipe 21, which is connected with the air intake end 8 oftheY carburetor.

Leading into the upper end of the shell 9 is an auxiliary water-vaporsupply pipe 22, having a cut off valve'23 connected therewith. The pipe22 is adapted to supply the water-vapor to the cylinders of the engineindependently of the carbureter and for that purpose the same may leadinto the supply manifold 6, as shown, or may have direct communicationwith the cylinder or l cylinders.

The numera'l 24.- designates a priming conduit, having a receptacle 25for the reception of gasolene or the like. This priming conduit ispreferably equipped with a cut off valve 26. When the Valve 26 is openand the liquid fuel placed in the receptacle 25, it is obvious that itwill be drawn into the manifold 6 and supplied to the cylinders, uponcranking or starting the engine.

In operation, a portion of the air from the fan 8 and a portion of thecurrent of air caused by the travel of the automobile, are forced intoand through the horn 16. This air discharges through the opening 18 intothe water and passes upwardly through the apertures 19. The air is madeto travel through the water, and becomes more or less saturated with thewater, or water-vapor. The air saturated withy the water, or containingthe waterevapor, is fed into the carbureter, and such air takes up thevaporized fuel, and discharges into the cylinder or cylinders of theengine. The usual sparking system for firing the charge in the cylindersmay be employed.

It is to be understood that the form of ,joined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described,

comprising a receptacle to hold water;

means to feed water into the receptacleandl to maintain a desired waterlevel l. therein; an air inlet conduit leading into the receptacle'y andhaving its discharge end disposed below the water level thereof for asubstantial distance; a deflector plate arranged withln the receptacle:and spaced a substantial distance below the water level thereof v andhaving a main centrally arranged opening to receive air from the airinlet conduit and discharge lthe same beneath the deflector plate whichis provided outwardly o-f the centrally arranged openings with apertures-for the passage ofthe air as it a'scends through the water whereby theair is sprayed through the water; and a gas take ofi' conduit connectedwith the receptacle above the water level. l

2. Apparatus of the character described; comprising a receptacle to holdwater; automatic means to feed water into the receptacle and maintainingthe water `level substantially constant; an air inlet conduit leadinginto the receptacle and having its discharge end exposed below the waterlevel thereof for a substantial dlstance; a deflector plate arrangedwithin the receptacle at a substantial distance beneath the water levelthereof and spherically curved and having its concave sidearrangedlowermost, the deflector plate having a centrally arranged opening toreceive the air from the air supply conduit so that the air is conductedbeneath the deflector plate for contact with the concave side thereof,the deflector plate being provided outwardly of the centrally arrangedopening with apertures for spraying the ascending air through the water;a second deflector plate disposed Within the receptacle above the Waterlevel thereof; and a gas take 0E pipe connected with the receptacleabove its water level.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

FLOYD T. ROMBERGER, M. D.

Witnesses:

C. L. PARKER, G. C. JARvIs.

